


The Psychology of Slamming Doors

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family, Holidays, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-08
Updated: 2014-10-08
Packaged: 2018-02-20 08:24:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2421812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How could you not feel like the queen of the universe when a man said your name like that?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Psychology of Slamming Doors

**Author's Note:**

> I am so in love with this pairing, I just can't deny it. I was doing something else completely when they started talking in my head and took over the place. I love holiday stories, I love family tension, and I love Dave and Erin. This one takes place in the beginning of their relationship.

“Is everything alright?”

Erin came into the kitchen after seeing off Nora and her boyfriend, Deacon. It had been his first Christmas with the Strauss family, such as it was these days, and he’d passed with flying colors. Erin thought he was smart, courteous, kind, and very loving toward her daughter. He came bearing gifts…a box of expensive chocolates and even more expensive wine. He taught Criminal Justice at City College of New York and Nora was getting her Masters in Philosophy at Fordham. The young couple looked happy and full of life.

Now in the kitchen Erin was face to face with Dave and her middle daughter, Mary Katherine. She’d been reserved the whole day; her mother could feel the tension wash over her in waves. After brunch with her father that afternoon she came back to the home she grew up in and immediately started on the many reasons why it was wrong they weren't having Christmas as a family. Erin reminded her that they weren't quite a family anymore. This only fueled MK’s rage.

It had been a tense day. Ted was his usual jovial self, Nora was happy and in love, and Deacon was satisfied to be around some halfway normal people. Apparently his family was a modern version of the Hatfields and McCoys. Things only became more precarious when Dave arrived after dinner.

MK went into full quiet boil. Nora and Deacon beat a hasty retreat to save themselves. Nora had met Dave before on a quick weekend visit home just after her parents’ announced their divorce. They seemed to get along fine. She was interested in getting to know him better and couldn’t seem to stop commenting about her mother’s ever-present glow.

Ted already liked Dave. His mother knew he felt torn sometimes, he loved his father. Erin assured him that one had nothing to do with the other. It was alright to like Dave and still love his dad. The two of them got along just fine.

MK wouldn’t even shake Dave’s hand when he offered it to her. She smirked when he was talking and rolled her eyes. There were a few times where Erin was ready to give the girl a piece of her mind but Dave just held his hand over hers. It wasn’t about the fact that she was embarrassing her mother with her rude behavior, which was bad enough.

Erin and Eli didn’t raise her to be that way. She was raised to speak her mind, yes, but not to be a snit. Erin’s middle daughter was acting like a complete snit. She wondered what she walked in on now.

“I was just making some coffee.” Dave said. “Care for a cup?”

“Oh that sounds wonderful. Ted went upstairs to get some sleep. MK, are you going to have coffee?”

“I was just telling Agent Rossi I wasn’t interested.” She replied in a terse tone. “I called my father; I'm going to stay with him tonight.”

“You certainly don’t have to leave on my account.” Dave said. He didn’t want to say anything but he didn’t want Erin thinking he was trying to get rid of her children either. He wasn’t quite the family man type but they had grown into intelligent young adults who were not hard to be around. Present company excluded. Still, he had to maintain a neutral stance on the whole thing.

“You don’t have anything to do with it.” MK said.

“Alright, that’s enough.” Erin held up her hand. “It’s been a battle all day and I'm tired of it now, Mary Katherine. No one has done anything to you. It’s Christmas for God’s sake.”

“That’s what I've been trying to tell you since I got here. Christmas is family time and yet Dad is in some DC condo all alone because you left him.”

“I decided it was time for me to be on my own; that’s not a crime.”

“On your own? Then what’s Sylvester Stallone doing here?”

“Hey!” Dave said. “I've been…” he stopped. He could eat this little girl for breakfast if he wanted to. She had a mouth on her that reminded him of some of his worst times with Erin. At least he knew she came by it honest. Since fighting with her mother back then and now even, rarely got him anywhere it was surely better to walk away. Dave cleared his throat. “Maybe Ted had the right idea. I'm gonna take my coffee upstairs and relax a little.”

Erin nodded. She watched him go up the back stairs and then turned to her daughter.

“I don’t even know what to say to you.”

“Don’t say anything, Mom. You’ve been really good at that for the last few months. I’ll just get out of your hair so you can be with your boyfriend.”

“I have never, and would never, brush any of my children aside to be with anyone.”

“Oh right. Cuz we never came second to the Bureau.” MK sighed. “I don’t want to fight with you.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” Erin said crossing her arms. “I think you’ve been spoiling for one since I picked you up at Reagan."

“What would it accomplish? I'm going to stay with Dad. He needs to be with family too for the holidays.”

“Christa didn’t spend the day with him? What, you don’t think I know about her?”

“He’s only doing what you did! He’s lonely. You left him to be with someone else…what was he supposed to do?”

“I didn’t leave him to be with David. I was never unfaithful to your father. Watch what you say next.”

“Goodnight.”

MK brushed past her mother and out the front door. Erin put her elbows on the counter as the door slammed. It rang throughout the downstairs. Dammit, MK knew she hated slamming doors. There were few things that truly got to Erin.

Something about slamming doors shook her to the core and she could never figure out what. She covered her face with her hands, willing herself not to cry. She damn sure wasn’t going to cry. She better not cry or heads were gonna roll. Fuck, fuck, fuck…she hated the holidays.

Erin jumped when she felt his arms slide around her. Straightening her body, she stood still for a moment before melting against him. Her eyes burned from the tears and Erin started counting backwards from 100 to keep them from falling. She used to do that in the Academy after a particularly bad day. There were so many of them that by the time she graduated she was sure that she’d never cry again.

“Let go.” He whispered.

“Absolutely not.”

“Let go, Erin. You won't fall; I gotcha baby.”

“No…please.” Her voice cracked. She tried to clear her throat but that took too much concentration away from stopping the tears.

“OK.” Dave nodded but she couldn’t see that. “But I'm holding on. If you want to let go that’s just fine with me.”

“Stop talking about letting go dammit.” Erin said through clenched teeth.

Dave brushed her blonde hair aside, kissing the nape of her neck. He felt her shiver against him.

“I'm thinking about a hot bubble bath.” He whispered in her ear. “A hot bubble bath with a cup of Sleepytime Tea and a nice massage.”

“Where do you think you're getting that from?” she asked.

“Oh no, Agent Strauss…you're getting all the attention tonight.”

“You don’t have to be nice to me because my daughter has a tendency to act like I used to at my worst moments.”

“I'm nice to you because I adore you. And MK does act like you at your worst moments. That’s why I know how to handle it.”

“What? You didn’t scream at her that she would end up alone and miserable if she didn’t get her head out of her ass.”

“Well she didn’t throw $80 wineglasses at me.” Dave replied.

“$180 wineglasses.” Erin reminded him.

“Seriously? Hell, I should've been a lot angrier at you.”

“It was over 25 years ago…and you don’t hold grudges.”

“Not about that kind of thing anyway. Were they really $180?”

“Yes, real crystal.” Erin nodded.

“You always had expensive tastes.”

“As I recall you were fond of indulging me.”

“Some things never change.”

He pulled the necklace from his pocket and held it out in front of her. Erin gasped.

“Oh my God, David, are you serious? It’s beautiful.”

“Just a little something.” He replied.

“It’s more than a little something. I love it.”

“Say that again.”

“I love it.”

She held up her hair and Dave put the necklace on. It was a platinum chain with a diamond encrusted ‘E’ pendant. As soon as he saw it, he knew Erin had to have it. Actually all he could think about was her wearing the necklace and nothing else. That was the number one sign a gift was good for a woman. He kissed her neck as Erin put her hair down. She turned in his arms.

“You’ve honed those lady killer skills over the years, David Rossi. You knew just what would make me melt.”

“I just wanted to see you smile. I knew it wasn’t going to be the best day but that didn’t mean it had to be a bad night. I don’t want to be the cause of you fighting with your daughter.”

“David…”

“No,” he put his finger on her lips and shook his head. “Let me say this.”

Erin nodded and he removed his finger. He gently kissed her lips.

“I don’t want to be the cause of you fighting with your daughter. At the same time, she’s an adult now. She doesn’t have to like what we’re doing with our lives. But you need to know that MK is not going to be swayed in what she thinks and feels. She’s just like you in enough ways that surely you already do. Its gonna be an uphill battle and I don’t know if this is fair or not but I need to ask you are you ready for it.”

Erin didn’t know how to answer that. She hadn't really seen it coming. Her heart and mind were still bouncing from the gorgeous diamond necklace. She didn’t want to think about the hard part right now.

There were so many damn hard parts. Wasn’t she allowed one day when they couldn’t come in? If that day wasn’t Christmas than the answer was definitely no. Erin Strauss didn’t like taking no for an answer.

“David?”

“Hmm?” he leaned in for Eskimo kisses.

“You want to know what I'm thinking about right now?”

“Tell me.”

“I'm thinking about a hot bubble bath.” Erin said smiling. “I want a hot bubble bath, Sleepytime tea, and a massage.”

“Is that your Christmas wish?” he asked.

“It’s a good start.”

***

“Mmm, you smell so good.” Dave nuzzled her neck. “You smell so damn good.”

“That tickles.” Erin laughed, her arms easily sliding around his neck.

“I love the way you smell fresh from a bubble bath. You smell so…”

“Bubbly?”

“Fresh. You smell fresh and sexy. I love it.” his tongue trailed across the hollow of her throat. Dave loved the way she sighed. “I have to say you're the best smelling woman I know.”

“Wow, you know a lot of women. That’s saying something.”

“It really is.” Dave kissed her. “You're my favorite. Wanna know why?”

“Point by point.” Erin replied.

He laughed, moving his body on top of hers. She’d had her hot bubble bath, and some fantastic foreplay. Then there was tea and a massage that turned into magnificent foreplay. Now David Rossi was ready for the main course, dessert, and an after dinner drink. He hadn't gotten drunk on anyone in a long while like he had Erin.

“I love that little giggle when I bite your earlobe.”

“I'm ticklish there.”

“I love that you're ticklish. I love the hollow of your throat and the curves of your hips. I love that you wear practical clothes to work but have sexy underwear underneath. I love the shoes you keep in the back of your closet, your silly crush on George Peppard, and your after dinner cigarette. I love the way you hold a wineglass, I love the way you roll your eyes, I love the way you hold my hips when I fuck you.”

Erin smiled, kissing him. Dave pushed a blonde lock behind her ear.

“I love the way you taste on my lips and tongue. I love when you antagonize me. I love your glasses resting on the bridge of your nose when you read the paper. I love that you always burn pancakes…”

“I do not…”

“Don’t even try it.” Dave laughed. “You don’t burn the whole batch but there are always a lucky few.”

“Oh my God, shut up.” Erin laughed too, covering her eyes.

“I love the way you tell me to shut up.”

“If you keep saying all these nice things I’ll think you like me, David Rossi.”

“And what if I do?” he asked.

“Then I’ll have to list all the reasons I like you too. We’ll spend all that time talking and none of it making love.”

“I can talk while I make love.”

“Now you're being a smartass.” Erin said.

“I love how you secretly love when I'm a smartass.”

Erin laughed, pushing him over on the bed and straddling him. Dave put his hands on her hips.

“What is this, a takedown?” he asked.

“No, it’s how you love when I take charge.”

He found no reason to object. She knew what to do to turn him on; set him on fire. Erin Strauss was no one trick pony. She had many dazzling tricks up her sleeve and he was mesmerized with her magic. Dave couldn’t believe it but he was totally enamored. He didn’t mind giving over the control…she made it worth it each and every time.

She loved being on top. She loved the way it felt when he thrust upward. She loved trying but never quite succeeding in holding him down. She loved his hands on her breasts, on her ass, up her back, and between her thighs. She definitely loved the way he closed his eyes and moaned her name. No one had ever moaned her name like that before. How could you not feel like the queen of the universe when a man said your name like that?

“Oh God, Erin; mmm, yeah. Damn baby…that’s what I like.”

“You like that?”

“Hell yeah…ohhh yeah.”

Erin laid her body over his; let him roll them on the mattress. They kissed passionately as Dave lifted her thighs and thrust deeper. He felt her tremble; knew she was close. If he timed it just right they would fall together. It was always fantastic when they fell together. Erin gripped him tighter, whimpered his name, and then let out a long moan. He did the same as the electrical current ran through her, over him, and engulfed them both.

“Holy…” it was all Dave could say before collapsing on her in exhaustion.

Erin ran her hands up his back, feeling the friction between her fingers and his skin. She loved that feeling, loved his body. The weight of him, on her, inside of her…nothing had ever felt so good. She was married for nearly a quarter of a century and nothing had ever felt this good. It probably wasn’t a good idea to think about burning in hell on Christmas. It would be fine tomorrow but not tonight.

“You're beautiful.” Dave caressed her face and kissed her mouth.

“I didn’t even give you your Christmas gift.” She replied. It was all she knew to say. She still got so flustered when he called her beautiful. It wasn’t that she didn’t see herself that way. OK, she didn’t quite see herself that way. Strong, smart, bold, yes she was all of those things. But beautiful; it was easier to see through another person’s eyes.

“I beg to differ.”

He laughed, shifting his body back onto the bed. Erin turned on her side and Dave spooned behind her. He was getting a little too used to sleeping like that…sleeping with her. They hadn't been doing it for very long, nearly six months, but it seemed easy to get used to. He didn’t know whether to smile or freak out. David Rossi preferred to play it cool.

He kissed her shoulder and stroked his fingers across her bare stomach. He loved Erin bare. He loved her in clothes, loved her with a chip on her shoulder, loved her with her claws out, or curled in his arms like a satisfied tigress. Did he love her? Now was not the time for such heavy thoughts. It would be fine tomorrow but not tonight.

“Do you always have to have a snappy retort?” Erin asked.

“Isn't that part of my charm?”

“On Thursdays.” She couldn’t get it out without laughing.

Dave laughed too, eagerly giving her a kiss when she turned her head for one.

“What’ll you give me for Christmas? I hope I don’t like it.” He quoted Nora Charles.

“You’ll have to keep it anyway…the man at the aquarium said he wouldn’t take it back.” She said, channeling Nick Charles.

He hugged her tighter and Erin sighed happily, just holding onto him. How could MK not want this happiness for her? Who wouldn’t want to indulge in this feeling every hour of every day? How many nights was she expected to lie beside Eli, in those ridiculous blue pinstripe pajamas, and wish for more? She wished for anything other than monotony.

Erin wasn’t even wishing for another man or another life, she wanted her husband to make her feel alive. She wanted something to make her feel alive. She still had a chance but her daughter had even more time than she did. Erin prayed MK didn’t waste her opportunity feeding bitterness.

“Tell me what you're thinking.” Dave whispered. “I always know when you're over thinking.”

“I'm ready.” She replied, turning in his arms and snuggling with him.

“Ready for what?” he wrapped his arms around her.

“I'm ready for any battle that comes along, David. Uphill or otherwise.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“I've fought for a lot of things in my time. Some have been so worth it and some not so much. I'm ready.”

“I believe you. Get some sleep, Erin. In the morning I’ll make you pancakes…just the way you like them.”

“Yours are actually round.” Erin replied laughing.

“Well I have to make keeping me around worth it.” Dave said.

It was worth it alright. Erin got everything she wanted for Christmas this year and more. She was secure and successful in her job and she was free. A new year was coming; it would be one of many discoveries for Erin Strauss. It was absolutely, positively worth it. And so was he.

***

  



End file.
